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European Union | Study Visa |

EU Issued 6.8% More Study Permits to Foreigners in 2023

by Kamran Ahmed

October 17, 2024

Students in Europe

key takeaways

50,308 authorisations for study and research were given to Indian nationals

Compared to the 421,974 licenses given in 2022, the EU nations authorised 450,777 non-EU students and researchers in 2023, an increase of 6.8%.

Data released by the EU Office for Statistics, Eurostat, shows that the number of study permits issued between 2021 and 2024 is remarkably higher—35.9%—than the 331,494 given in 2021.

The highest value of 450,777 authorisations for students and researchers and other related categories was recorded in 2023, representing an increase of 6.8 per cent in comparison with 2022.
--Eurostat

Indians Received Most Study Permits in 2023

50,308 authorisations for study and research were given to Indian nationals, accounting for 11.2% of total licenses awarded in 2023. With 46,989 and 21,871 authorisations, respectively, Chinese and Moroccans came second. Their respective authorisations accounted for 10.4 and 4.9% of the total.

The list of top ten nationalities with most study permits granted in 2023 includes the following:

Americans, who were issued 20,726 authorisations, representing 4.6 per cent of the total
Turks – 16,972 (3.8 per cent)
Russians – 15,127 (3.4 per cent)
Algerians – 13,321 (three per cent)
Tunisians – 10,609 (2.4 per cent)
Columbians – 10,289 (2.3 per cent)
Cameroonians – 9,343 (2.1 per cent)

These top ten countries of origin represent 47.8 per cent of the total 450,777 authorisations issued in 2023.

Germany Issued Nearly One-Third of EU's 450,000 Study Permits in 2023

Germany issued 144,464 study permits to non-EU citizens in 2023, making it the top country for granting such authorizations. France followed with 116,950 permits, accounting for 25.9% of the total, while Spain issued 55,436 study residence permits.

The Netherlands and Sweden ranked fourth and fifth, with 27,922 and 13,910 permits issued, respectively. In contrast, Malta issued fewer than 50 permits, becoming the country with the fewest study authorizations for the year.

The Netherlands Holds 25.2% of EU Intra-Corporate Transfer Authorizations

In 2023, the Netherlands issued 2,725 intra-corporate transfer (ICT) authorizations, accounting for 25.2% of the EU’s total 10,831 authorizations. Germany, Hungary, France, and Spain followed, while the EU overall granted 2.5% more visas compared to 2022. Estonia issued no ICT authorizations, and 20 EU countries granted fewer than 20 each.

Indian nationals received over one-third (35.9%) of all ICT permits, with 3,886 authorizations. Chinese, South Korean, British, and American nationals collectively accounted for 74.1% of the total ICT permits issued.